Revolving cylindrical sleeve for railroad-car axles.



PATBNTED JAN. 24, 1905.

I No. 780,723.

' M. MARKKULA & A. RANTALA.

EEYE POR RAILROAD yGAR AXLES.

REVOLVING GYLINDRIGAL SL f APPLICATION? ILBD SEPT 6, 1904 A /A 5V g.,

UNITED STATES .Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATT MARKKULA AND AUGUST RANTALA, OF FORT BRAGG, CALIFORNIA.

REVOLVING CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE FOR RAILROAD-CR AXLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,723, dated January 24, 1905. i Application ilcdSeptembei 6, 1904. SerialNo. 223,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MATT MARKKULA and AUGUST RANTALA, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Fort Bragg, in the county of Mendocino, State of California, haveinvented jointly a new and useful Revolving lCylindrical Sleeve for Railroad-Oar Axles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in railroad-car axles, in which a revolving cylindrical sleeve holds the two ends of a severed car-axle; and the object of our invention is to provide aYcar-axle which will admit the independent revolution of each wheel. We attain this object by providing the attachment illustrated in the following drawings, in which- Figure l is a front view of our sleeve as it appears on an axle and a pair of wheels. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the car-axle, sleeve, collar, and key. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the two parts of the collar. Fig. i is a cross-Section of the sleeve and axle, taken at the adjustment-chambers. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the two half-keys' together and of the half-key separate.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The revolving cylindrical sleeve A, the collar B,'the key O, with their details, constitute the attachment,` which makes an axle giving wheels attached to it independence of revolution.

An ordinary railroad-car axle has been severed in the middle at L. It has been turned down on a lathe as far as shoulder M, Fig. 2, so that it has a uniform diameter from M to H, which latter has been turned down to make a keyway', while part G has been so reduced that the back of the key O may rest within the sleeve. The turned axle, now slightly smaller than the inside diameter of sleeve A, is ready for introduction into the sleeve. Half-key O has been dropped into space E. Its other half is retained in the upper space E by means of an adjustment-screw F. D from the left, without the collar, is introduced into the sleeve and goes until it is even with the middle of chamber E. D, on the right, is brought to meet it. Upper half-key O is dropped into its position on the axle. Lower half-key Gis pushed into place by adjustmen t-screw F. Sleeve A is caused to slide over the adjusted key until the mouth of the sleeve meets M on the right. Oollar B is placed on the axle vat the left and secured by its rivet K. It prevents A from changing its position, while A holds the two semicircular keys, which hold the axle from spreading, in position. Adjustment-chamber E is lled with oil, and adjustment-screw F is closed. (I and J, Fig. 5, are parts of key O. The new axle is now ready for service.

It is a known fact that rigidly-joined wheels must undergo much sliding and friction while running on a curved track. The wheel making the outside of a curve can only make the same number of revolutions as the wheel on the inside of the curve when rigidly joined to it. Theflange is brought to bear unnecessarily .hard on the rail. Our invention, giving independence of revolution, does away with unnecessary friction, adding much to the life of the wheel, both iiange and face, as well as to the life of the rail. Again, our invention does away with the peculiar jan and friction attendant upon rigidly-joined wheels, thereby saving the brasses in the journals and oil-box. The friction that our invention does away with not only saves wear, but facilitates the vdrawing of greater loads with a given power and prevents the tendency of carwheels to climbthe track on curves.

Another feature of our invention is the novel cylindrical sleeve construction, which does away with rigidity in revolution, but does not impair the strength or function of the axle.

Another especially important feature of our invention is that car-axles Vinuse at the present time can easily and quickly be made to fit our cylindrical sleeve. Again, if one of a pair of wheels be broken it can be replaced without the necessity of taking off both wheels. We are aware that car-axles which give independence of revolution to wheels andvsuch' axles on which a sleeve is used have been invented. We therefore do not claim such invention, broadly; but

l/Vhat We do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A sleeve which has an adjustment-chamber, an adjustment-screw, and a Collar to cornplete its length and hold it in position.

2. The combination of a divided axle with reduced ends and lieyways for semiciroular coupling keys, two semicireular couplingkeys to lit the described axle ends, a sleeve 

